🌟With No Vet Clinics East of the River, Choosing an Independent Vet Matters More Than Ever
A message from Union Veterinary Clinic
At Union Veterinary Clinic, we’ve been proud to serve pets and families on Capitol Hill since 2002. Over those years, we’ve seen many changes in veterinary medicine in Washington, DC. One of the biggest — and most concerning — is the rapid rise of corporate-owned vet chains.
In just the past five years, large corporations have opened clinic after clinic west of the Anacostia River (at last count 23), while veterinary costs across the city have increased by more than 200%. Despite all these new storefronts, DC now has only seven independent veterinary clinics left.
Union Veterinary Clinic is one of them, alongside our sister practices, Dupont Veterinary Clinic and Palisades Veterinary Clinic. We’re proud to be family-owned, locally operated clinics — and our prices remain consistently less than corporate clinics, while still providing the high-quality care your pets deserve.
Unfortunately, the corporate expansion has left entire neighborhoods behind. When Anacostia Animal Hospital closed, it left a painful gap: today there are no full-service veterinary clinics east of the river. While the Humane Rescue Alliance maintains an outpost in Anacostia and does vital work, it cannot meet all medical and dental needs. That means many families must travel across the city for even basic services — often paying inflated corporate prices when they get there.
Independent clinics like ours keep care personal and affordable. We aren’t run by Wall Street investors. We’re your neighbors, your fellow DC residents, and your partners in keeping pets healthy and happy. Many of our clients have been with us for years — even decades — because they know they’ll see familiar faces who know their pets by name.
But with only seven independent clinics left in DC, we need your support. Every appointment is a choice, and a chance to ensure that veterinary care in DC remains rooted in community values rather than corporate profits.
If your pet needs care, we invite you to choose independent:
Union Veterinary Clinic (Capitol Hill, near Union Station)
Dupont Veterinary Clinic (Dupont Circle)
Palisades Veterinary Clinic (Northwest DC)
Thank you for trusting us with your pets. Together, we can keep veterinary care in DC accessible, affordable, and family-centered.
— Your Union Veterinary Clinic Team